[9] Formed by the Philippine Executive Commission (Komisyong Tagapagpaganap ng Pilipinas) under the leadership of Jorge Vargas, the party was created by Proclamation No.

[11] Inaugurated on December 30, 1942, the death anniversary of Filipino writer and national hero José Rizal, "to emphasize the patriotic basis of the organization",[12] the party was headed by its Director-General Benigno S. Aquino with Pio Duran as Secretary-General and effective second in command and Ganap leader Benigno Ramos as a member of the executive committee.

It was left to KALIBAPI to write the new constitution and establish the new National Assembly, resulting in Aquino's appointment as Speaker (as his replacement as Director-General by Camilo Osías).

[17] Taking a highly nationalistic standpoint, KALIBAPI was active in initiatives to promote the Tagalog language as a central feature of Filipino identity.

No former KALIBAPI candidates ran for office in the 1946 general election, and some of those not arrested went into hiding in Philippines, exile in Japan, or were executed by vengeful Filipinos or the communist-aligned Hukbalahap members.